Las Vegas Sun

Will new economic plan work?

Stanley R. Goldfarb, Las Vegas

Tue, Jun 12, 2012 (2:01 a.m.)

Conservative leaders have said more money won’t buy a better education for our kids, so we’re trying to improve education in America by the opposite approach — less money. We started by reducing funding for education and firing teachers. Then we de-motivated the ones remaining by cutting their pensions, downgrading their working conditions, and treating them and their profession with disrespect and utter contempt so more will quit on their own.

We’re saving lots of money by refusing to honor their employment contracts and reducing their pensions. We’re packing more kids into each classroom and cutting back on school lunch programs so both teachers and students will have an incentive to work harder. We are eliminating a teacher’s ability to bargain collectively, guaranteeing a fast track to the very lowest rung on the middle class ladder and proving to the class that a college education is no guarantee of a better life in America. Thus, fewer kids will choose to enter college and we will be able to cut even more money out of higher education.

Any bets on how this plan is going to work out for America’s leaders of tomorrow?